E The Magazine For Today's Female Executive August 2018 issue

Now you should have a better understanding of
the three most common ways that restaurants
organize their lists. The geographic and grape
varietal lists will account for 80% of the lists encountered,
but the progressive list may be a
growing trend. The next time you take an important
client (or that special someone) to dinner
they will be impressed with your ability to
find the right wine in no time!
More Secrets to Ordering a Great
Bottle of Wine Every Time!
Do Your Homework: The first step to ordering a
great bottle happens before you arrive at the
restaurant. See if the wine lists are online. If so,
you can get an idea of what they offer and do a
bit of research. If not, you may want time after
you are seated to digest the wine list and narrow
down your choices. The easiest way to do
this is to order sparkling wine to begin. Italian
Prosecco or Spanish Cava are usually my
choices since they’re tasty, affordable and pair
nicely with most appetizers.
Speak Up: Ask the sommelier or server for suggestions.
Most are eager to help and have tasted
most (if not all) of the wines on their list.
Those of us who have chosen wine as a career
enjoy drinking wine every night but don’t necessarily
have large budgets. Sommeliers and
servers will know the best bargains because
that is what we are drinking at home!
Don’t Break the Bank: If you are on a budget but
don’t want the client to know that, point out a
wine in your price range and then ask for an alternate
suggestion. Any good server will recommend
something within $10 of the wine you
pointed out. Don’t go for the least expensive
bottle, however; look for the second or third level
wines.
The lowest priced wines are actually marked up the
most, sometimes 4 or 5 times cost, whereas higher
priced wines might only be marked up 2 times cost.
Get the Point: Let’s face it, we are not experts in French,
Spanish or Italian but that doesn’t stop us from enjoying
the wine right? If you find a great wine you want to order
but are afraid to pronounce it, look for the Bin Number
listed to the left of the wine. Many restaurants use
these as a method to organize their wine inventory. If
the list does not list bin numbers, then point to the wine
in question and any astute server will get the message.
Hidden Gems: Resist the temptation to order the cult favorites
like Opus One or other highly sought after wines
with name recognition. These wines are expensive because,
like Gucci or Cartier, the brand’s status is part of
what you are paying for. Many times you can find wines
that are similar in quality for much less, especially if you
are willing to try lesser known grape varietals or regions.
Ask your sommelier or server. They will be able to recommend
the best buys.
Keep on Sipping: Try to taste as much as you can at
home or at free in-store tastings. Retail wines are usually
only marked up 30-50% over cost as opposed to the
standard 2-3 times markup at a restaurant. Experimenting
at home will give you the experience to order great
wine you’ll love when you are out!
Page 124 E The Magazine for Today’s Female Executive
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